Chair for work place environment or for means of transportation that is capable of providing physical training

ABSTRACT

Chair for work place environment or for means of transportation that is capable of providing physical training. The subject of the invention is such chair that used for lasting period of times, encourages muscular physical work and can even be utilized during office work hours, or during travel, and as it requires, the daily training can be performed on it. The principal idea of the invention is that certain parts of the chair shift, or signal and the sitting person has to produce muscular force against those actions. Usage of this kind of chair can save the supplemental time one should spend during leisure time, because physical training can be done while sitting on this chair. The chair can be controlled by smart device, or computer, hence a variety of training schemes can be offered for selection.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The subject of the invention is such chair that offers physical training by initiating muscular activity, used for lasting period of times, can even be utilized during office work hours. One principle of its unique function is that parts of the chair are shifted by controlled scale force and the sitting person has to use muscle force to retain or move those shifted parts. Another affiliated principle functionality is that the sitting person has to use muscle force to turn off an on signal. Use of this chair can save the additional time that should be spent for physical training during leisure hours, because by sitting on the chair, even during office hours, physical training can be achieved. By similar principle, the chair can be utilized on means of transportation.

2. Description of the Related Art

Several solutions are known for physical exercise equipment like the different training equipment that are used in fitness centers and at homes. There is such solution as an office chair that can also be used for physical training after work hours, like U.S. Pat. No 5,044,633 from 1991, with the title ‘Office chair with occasional exercise capability’ . There is also known such solution from 2014 as to convert existing office chair to fitness chair as the U.S. Pat. No. 8,905,906 B2 describes. It can be stated, that the need has been around for over 28 years for satisfactory solution for a suitable physical training apparatus at office environment. Nonetheless no proper solution has been developed as of yet. It is a simple statement to make, because none is commonly used. The previously mentioned solutions are not suitable for physical training during working hours, because exercise on them can only be achieved with an action of continuous physical movement of muscular force against brake of resistance, moreover requires major power of will. At customary office circumstances and to maintain office culture, such exercise with upfront continuous physical movement, is not acceptable. There is an additional essential shortfall of these solutions that they did not provide initiative, in other words stimulation for doing the physical exercise. To initiate, to urge training during office hours, the office chair truly requires to provide periodically activated, appropriately sized active exercise forces appearing on the human body structure, body parts (for example arms, legs, upper-body) being trained. Therefore it is aimless to utilize inactive and passive mechanical resistances. For this intent, the mechanisms of this invention is required which immediately makes displacement effect on the body and strain on muscle, and maintains the urge of exercise, even without any movement of the person and with very slow motion as well, so the exercises can be done unexposed and still have effective result.

The existing solutions were not able to solve the aim of physical exercise during office work hours, these kinds of attempts did not proof successful because creating a mechanism of that intent even for experts is not evident.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

During office environment, to initiate muscle activity, to accomplish favorable results and to be acceptable, the urge, the stimulation to use muscle strength against an optimal level of acting force, which lasts a necessary period of time, has to appear at comfortable sitting posture and has to be maintained even at slow body motion. The physical training should start when parts of the office chair shift by the effect of controlled scale of force. This controlled scale of force is imposed for defined period of time, which encourages using continuous muscle activity until the chair stops. Characteristic of the office environment is the availability of vast amount of sitting time. If the goal is to utilize this available time for physical training, further more adapting to the environment, the circumstances and the limited possibilities, then equipment designed to such place needs to have novel methodology introduced, therefore innovative technology is required.

At office environment, it is impossible to utilize existing gym equipment with reduced sizes, because at office environment the requirements to meet are totally different. So far, such equipment that is accommodating to such requirements was not yet created successfully. This innovation is serving entirely new area that is not yet covered by current state of the technology, because existing solutions are not, but the chair described by this invention is able to provide physical training during office work, or even on means of transportation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The intent of the invention is such a chair that provides the opportunity of physical training during regular daily engagements instead of leisure time.

The main idea of the invention is that selected parts of the chair, like armrest, seat back, seat bottom, foot handle, head-rest, supplemental components or elements, etc., in contact with the body parts of the sitting person, shifts individually or number-some by power producing equipment, or signals by signaling apparatus. Regulated scale of muscle force over a definite period of time is necessary to retain or move these shifted parts against the effect of the moving power, or in case of warning signal, muscle force is necessary to turn the signal off. The signal warns and urges to do the physical training. Direct or indirect connection of activated spring, magnetic spring, pneumatic- or hydraulic piston, motor, linear motor, rotary linear motor or weight shifts the parts of the chair, between limits of boundary endpoints, around built on bearing, or joint, or on railing, and renders the controlled scale of forces. The sitting person has to apply muscle strength against this force, or the signal, to hold in place or move the shifted parts of the chair until the power producing equipment is deactivated, or in case of signal, until the signal is turned off. The signal can be form of light, sound, vibration or visual on screen. If necessary, to diminish boundary endpoint dissonance or striking, impact damper, speed/motion reducer might be installed, for example elastic materials on the surface of boundary endpoints. The function of the chair might be controlled by software provided by a smart devise of the user or by in site computer. The chair may display information regarding its operation on connected screen. At preferred embodiment, the chair measures the scale and time of the applied forces acting on its parts. The sitting person turns off the above mentioned signal through sensor measurement, by applying defined scale of force over defined period of time. The weight of the sitting person can be utilized to be the moving power of the shifting parts of the chair. At preferred embodiment, sensor can detect the presence of a sitting person; the person's absence can prevent the parts of the chair to shift or the warning signal to activate.

One of a preferred embodiment of the invented chair can be the following, in which the armrest swivels on the frame of the chair:

The armrest is furnished with bearing that is connected to the frame of the chair such way that two buffers limit the turn interval of the armrest around the bearing. The armrest is locked by bolt at a comfortable sitting position. The bolt mechanism turns on and off an electric motor as well, thus activates and deactivates the armrest for movement and physical training. Electric motor is supported by chair structure and produces the activated and required forces for movement of the armrest by rotating an iron flywheel with regulated speed. Magnetic torque controller and torque limiter coupling generates the flexible effect of the activated force, by acting between the flywheel and the armrest, controlling the scale of the activated force and providing flexibility. The electric motor is regulated by the bolt mechanism and a user detecting sensor. User detecting sensor is placed in the seat-bottom of the chair and turns off the working electric motor in case the user leaves the chair during unbolted position of the armrest. Electric motor produces proper force for physical training such way that produced active forces are pushing the armrest from one endpoint towards the other endpoint between the buffers. Buffer endpoint surfaces are protected by rubber insert. Supplemental element, such as a handle may be equipped on the armrest. Status of the armrest, whether it is bolted or unbolted, controls the time period of the arm and upper-body exercise when it is possible by hand to retain or move the armrest against the activated force, between the two endpoints of the buffer boundary.

The advantages of the invented chair are the increase access to body training and the reduction of the harmful effects caused by spending long periods of time in sitting position, because physical exercise, execution of muscle activity is possible, at such environment where the circumstances were not given earlier.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention. 

1. Chair or group of chairs with the capability of initiating the use of muscle force, and could be suitable for work place environment or for means of transportation, characterized by one or more parts of the chair, that are connected with bearing, or joint, or guided on rail, and said parts of the chair have movement range limited between boundary endpoints, that is suitable for physical training, and said parts of the chair have controlled time period for movement, and the said movement range of said parts of chair is arranged to have the capability for displacement of selected parts of the human body to stimulate participation in the physical training, and to have the ability to effect the human body with suitable active force for proper physical training, wherein one or more said parts of the chair are connected by direct or indirect link with one or more power producing equipment coupled with on-off mechanism, where the effect of the movement of the predetermined said parts of the chair is activated or deactivated by the said on-off mechanism, and the force generated by the said power producing equipment acting on the said parts of the chair is flexible force, and the scale of the said flexible force is controlled and such, which is suitable for proper physical training, wherein the said flexible force is such, that the activated said parts of the chair are retainable in position or movable back against the direction of motion or guideable forward along the direction of motion or movable to any other permitted directions or the combination of any, by the user with muscle work, wherein the period of time of the said flexible force is definite and such, which is necessary for proper physical training, or one or more parts of the chair are connected with sensors of one or more signaling apparatus, wherein the sensors are located at predetermined places to be able to measure the physical training activity and the signaling apparatus is furnished with the ability to coordinate the physical training activity.
 2. Chair of claim 1, wherein the power producing equipment could be spring, or magnet spring, or pneumatic piston, or hydraulic piston, or motor, or linear motor, or rotary-linear motor, or magnetic motor, or effect of weight.
 3. Chair of claim 1, wherein the signal of the signaling apparatus could be light, sound, vibration, or appearance on screen.
 4. Chair of claim 1, wherein the power producing equipment, signaling apparatus is controlled by software. 